Cardfight! Vanguard: Zeta
by Liger One
Summary: I was just an ordinary, bullied kid. I never thought a simple card game could change my life. But change me it did. And I never imagined that a trading card could store a power this deep. Well, the things you learn, right?
1. Ride 1: What's a Vanguard?

**Hey everyone, Liger One again. Technically, I should be working on chapter 3 of Shooting Stars, but writing that is a lot more difficult for me than you may think. Meanwhile, I've been getting really into Cardfight! Vanguard recently, and I've been wanting to write something with it, but I decided to wait until the end of Season 2 before starting anything about that. So, I thought, why not write a crossover. And of course, I had to do it with Naruto, because at this point, that seems obligatory for me. So, please enjoy my attempt, and check out Vanguard on YouTube in the event that, for whatever strange reason, you haven't already done so.**

**Notes: Please be aware that there will be some original cards, but I promise to do my best to balance them, and please feel free to let me know if you think one is too powerful. Also, some things, particularly in this chapter, may be annoyingly close to the Vanguard canon, so I'm sorry if that annoys you.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Cardfight Vanguard, or most other things (I may own my original characters/cards, however. Does anyone know the legal rights of an OC?). I do own some copies of Yu-Gi-Oh cards though. That counts for something, right?... Right?**

* * *

_In this world, there are a lot of different things, both good, and bad. I never thought that a card game could alter my life completely._

**Ride 1, Start: What's a "Vanguard"?**

It was a bright, sunny day. You'd have to be crazy to be depressed on such a beautiful day, most people would say. Of course, most people wouldn't be Uzumaki Naruto, 14 year-old boy with more problems than he cared to count.

"C'mon, Nii-san, get out of bed!" A young girl tried to drag him out of his nice comfy bed, if only he could stay in there a bit longer. She had vivid red hair down to her neck, and red eyes as well. A slightly pale skin tone and a black ribbon in her hair, matching her black uniform, completed her appearance. "Nii-san! Wah!"

With a mighty tug, the girl managed to completely yank away her precious "Nii-san" from his beloved, cozy, warm covers. With a groan, Naruto accepted his fate, preparing himself for another day. He dressed himself in his school uniform, and trudged his way down the stairs.

"Hurry up, Naruto! You'll be late if you take any longer!" A mature voice called from the kitchen. That was Uzumaki Mito, his older sister. At 22 years of age, she'd still never had a boyfriend that lasted longer than a month. Naruto reflected guiltily that he was probably part of the reason for that. "Kyūbi, slow down before you choke!"

That was the other part of the reason. Uzumaki Kyūbi, the youngest of the siblings, at 10 years old. With a sigh, Naruto entered the kitchen and poured himself a bowl of cereal, taking note as he did that Mito's rusty orange hair was tied back in a large ponytail today. _'Probably trying to impress some guy she'll just end up dumping anyway.'_

Finishing quickly, Naruto packed his bag, making sure to include the one thing he held precious to him. Staring at the small box a moment, he allowed his thoughts to drift back to a better time.

"_You really like Vanguard, don't you, Naruto?"_

"_Yeah! It's awesome!"_

"_Then here, I want you to have this."_

"_But, this is your-"_

"_The truth is, Naruto, I..."_

"Nii-san, we have to go now!" Kyūbi called from outside the house.

"H- Huh? Right!" Snapped out of his daze, Naruto sprinted off down the street to catch up to his little sister, his spiky blond hair blowing in the wind.

Mito watched sadly as the teen left. _'Oh, Naruto...'_ She felt like crying, as she did every day she couldn't see the once cheerful blond's smile. But her tears had run dry long ago. For, in the last 7 years, Naruto hadn't smiled even once.

* * *

"Well then, who in the class can tell me who said the famous line, "If you can do something, do it! Don't hesitate!"? How about... Uzumaki Naruto!" A brown haired man shouted, pointing directly at the blond sitting at the back of the class.

"Um... I... Well... I don't know?" The boy stammered, startled at being singled out, ducking his head down quickly. The teacher sighed dramatically.

Not even noticing the occurrence, a student with brown hair sat in the back row, opening a pack of cards. _'Let's see... Flogal, Queen of Heart, Red Gem Carbuncle, NGM Prototype, and Embodiment of Armor, Bahr. These cards are useless!'_ The teen's head slumped in disappointment. _'But, that was the last of my allowance... How will I get cards now?'_

His eye caught another teen slumped over his desk, one with spiky blond hair. Maybe he had an idea after all.

* * *

"Hey there, Naruto," The spiky haired boy gulped. The speaker, along with another black haired boy, had him trapped against the wall of the school hallway.

"Uh... W- What's up, Kurotsuchi-san, Iwamoto-san?" The brown haired boy grinned maliciously.

"See, we have a bit of a problem. We need to buy some vanguard cards, but we don't have any money. So, we were hoping you'd be kind enough to pay for us." Kurotsuchi Yosuke, the brown haired boy, explained.

"But... But, I-" Naruto stuttered, eyes wide in panic.

The other teen, Iwamoto Yoshiharu, spoke up. "We weren't asking." Yosuke nodded. "So, come along quietly."

Naruto yelped as Yoshiharu grabbed him forcefully and began dragging him along with them, a sinking feeling coming to him. Once again, he was helpless, and no one would be saving him.

* * *

Naruto sat in silence, his wallet empty as he'd just been forced to spend all his money on cards for Yosuke and Yoshiharu, which the two were now excitedly going over.

"Yes! With these cards it'll be all winning, all the time!" Yosuke exclaimed loudly. He began looking around the store, seeing if anyone he wanted to play against was there. He heard the door slide open, and looked there, finding his target. A black haired boy, long tail going from his neck all the way down his back. "Tanaka Rei! I challenge you to a game of Vanguard!" The brown haired boy shouted.

"No point. You don't have what it takes to win against me," "Rei" replied coolly, eyes closed. A boy with blue hair standing next to him snickered.

"You're real cold, Rei. Can't blame you though, taking on this loser wouldn't be any challenge at all."

"Why you!" Yosuke's face was getting red from anger. "I'll bet my deck that I can beat you!"

Rei's gold eyes opened. "Fine. It's your loss." His companion seemed to trying desperately not to laugh.

* * *

"Dragon Monk, Goku attacks. That makes six damage, so unless you get a heal trigger..." Rei trailed off, as Yosuke flipped over the top card of his deck. "Well then, I'll be taking that deck, as agreed."

"Urk," Yosuke hung his head, remembering the deal he made. Naruto watched as Rei collected up all the cards. A stray memory surfaced as he saw the card "Enigman Wave".

"_Why did you get in that fight, Kiryu? You said fighting was wrong."_

"_For some people, violence is the only language they understand. Those bullies were going around, beating up kids and taking their cards."_

"_Can't they just get new ones?"_

"_If you only remember a single thing I say, I want it to be this, Naruto. A cardfighter's Vanguard cards are their soul. It's not the kind of thing you can replace, and it should always be protected."_

The blond frowned. _'He brought it on himself,'_ He thought coldly. Unbidden, another phrase entered his mind. _"If you can do something, do it! Don't hesitate!"_

"Wait!" He called out to the leaving Rei. The black haired teen turned around to look at the blond. "That deck... Kurotsuchi-san spent hours working on that. Those are the cards that he placed his faith in. So, please... Give them back!" He pleaded.

"I won these in a Vanguard fight. I'm not going to give them up just because you asked me to," Rei stated, holding the deck up.

"Then... Then I... I'll cardfight against you to get them back!" Naruto declared, surprising himself.

"... Alright. If you win, I'll return the deck. Now then, I assume you're new to the game, so buy a deck, and I'll explain the rules as we go," Naruto shook his head.

"I haven't played before, but I already have a deck," He explained, retrieving his blue cardbox from his bag. Rei nodded.

"Alright, first, we prepare a vanguard table. Now, select a Grade 0 unit fro your deck, those are the ones with a zero in the top left corner, and place it face down in your vanguard circle. Your vanguard circle is blue, and mine is red. Are you getting all this?" Seeing the blond nod, he continued.

"Now you need to shuffle your deck. Like that, yeah. Then, to make sure there's no cheating, we cut each other's decks, like so. Next, put your deck here, and draw five cards from the top of your deck. Now, we begin. I'll go first, and show you how it's done." Rei paused his explanation, looking to Naruto for confirmation.

Naruto nodded. "That's fine." Yoshiharu gawked, never having seen Naruto act like this before.

Rei went straight back to explanation. "The goal of the game is to attack your opponent's Vanguard until they reach six damage. At that point, you win. Now, to start, we both flip over our starting Vanguard at the same time. Ready?" At a nod, both flipped their card.

"Stand up, Vanguard! Lizard Runner, Undeux!" Rei's card was of a bipedal red lizard, holding two swords and decked out in armor.

"Stand up, Vanguard! Grassland Breeze, Sagramore!" Naruto's, on the other hand, was that of a young boy in wolf-like armor.

"Gold Paladins?" Rei murmured, caught off guard.

"Both units have a power of 6000. But, I've never seen that card before," Yoshiharu turned to Yosuke, who shook his head. Rei's blue haired friend piped up.

"I've never heard of that one either," Rei sighed t the other's ignorance.

"That's a Gold Paladin. It's a really old clan, they went out of print a while ago. I didn't think there were any left."

Yosuke gaped. "Wait, you're planning to win with a bunch of relics?" Naruto glared.

"It's my deck! Don't insult them!" Yosuke backed off as Naruto got angry at him. Naruto, the quiet loner, who never got mad and just let people walk all over him.

"Right, we'll start now. Pay close attention. When you start your turn, take the top card of your deck, and add it to your hand. This is the Draw Phase. There's one more phase before this, but that phase isn't important yet. Next is the Ride Phase. In this phase you can ride a unit on top of your vanguard, but you can only ride one that is the same grade as your Vanguard, or is one grade higher. The idea is to ride your way up to the higher grades. I'll demonstrate now."

He selected a card from his hand, and slammed it down on the Vanguard Circle, directly above Lizard Runner, Undeux. "I ride Iron Tail Dragon!" This one was a red dragon, breathing flames as it flew in the air **(Power: 7000)**. "Then we move to the Main Phase."

"In the Main Phase, there are multiple actions you can take. First is to call units to your rear-guard," Rei explained. "I call Follower, Reas!" Behind Iron Tail Dragon appeared a small brown haired girl **(Power: 6000)**. "You see these five yellow circles, to the sides and behind your Vanguard? These are rear-guard circles. You can call other units to these circles, but you can't call any units that are a higher grade than your Vanguard." Naruto nodded.

"Is there a limit to how many rear-guards you can call in one turn?" He asked nervously, figuring he would probably just be ignored. To his surprise, Rei answered it.

"As long as you have empty circles, you can call as many rear-guards as you want. If you want to call a unit but have no space, you can retire a rear-guard and place the unit in that circle. It's important to choose where you place your units carefully, since it's hard to move them later. During the Main Phase, you can also move your side units forwards or backwards, but the rear-guard directly behind your Vanguard cannot move. If you have a unit in both the front and back row of a column, when you want to move one you have to exchange it with the other unit. And your final action is to use card abilities. Some cards will have abilities that you activate manually, and unless the card says otherwise, you do so during this phase. You can use these abilities whenever during this phase, and when you're done, you end your Main Phase, and go to the Battle Phase." Naruto gulped.

"However, since I went first, I can't attack yet, so I'll explain next turn. Now, I enter the End Phase, and my turn is over. Go ahead," Rei encouraged as Naruto sighed in relief. Their small audience watched in silence.

"Alright... I draw," He looked at the new card, then added it to the rest of his hand. "I ride Knight of Elegant Skills, Gareth!" The young boy was replaced with a man wearing gold and red armor, a sword in his right hand **(Power: 8000)**. "Now, I call Charjgal," To the right of the man appeared an armored wolf with a green mane and tail, a double sided blade clenched in its teeth **(Power: 6000)**. "And I also call another Grassland Breeze, Sagramore," Behind the knight, the young boy appeared again **(Power: 6000)**. "So, I move to the Battle Phase, right?" Naruto asked.

Rei nodded. "That's right. Now, you rest your front row units by turning them on their side, and that means you attack with them. And you can rest a back-row unit as well to add their power to the unit in front of them."

Naruto nodded again. "In that case, I attack with Gareth, boosted by Sagramore!" He rested the units **(Power: 14000)**.

"Now, since your Vanguard attacked, flip over the top card of your deck," The black haired boy instructed. "And look at the top-right corner. If there's a symbol there, you get a bonus."

"You mean like this one?" The whisker-marked blond asked, showing a card with a red symbol in the corner. It was Weapons Dealer, Gwydion. Rei blinked.

"That's a Draw Trigger. All triggers let you increase the power of one of your units by 5000, but they also have a second effect. This one lets you draw an extra card." Naruto drew a card, then looked at his units.

"I think I'll give the power to Charjgal," He decided **(Power: 11000)**. Rei nodded.

"Now I take a point of damage. Like when a Vanguard attacks, when you take damage, you check for a trigger," He did so, but didn't get anything. "Then, instead of adding it to your hand like when you attack, you put it in the damage zone, over on the left. And then you continue."

"Next I attack with Charjgal!" Naruto announced as he rested the unit.

"Now, I'll explain an ability of the defending player. You can guard with cards from your hand, by placing them up in front of your Vanguard. This spot is called the Guardian Circle. Then, their shield value is added to the power of the unit they protect. If the defending unit has more power than the attacking unit, the attack will fail. So, I guard with Gattling Claw Dragon!" A robotic dragon with a chaingun appeared in front of the red dragon, causing the armored wolf to pause, then retreat **(Shield: 5000)**.

"Okay, I end my turn," Naruto sighed as Rei drew a card.

"I ride Chain-attack Sutherland! And I call Embodiment of Armor, Bahr, and Flame Edge Dragon!" Iron Tail Dragon was replaced by a man with spiky green hair and goggles **(Power: 8000)**, and at his sides were a demonic looking armor **(Power: 8000)** and a dragon holding a boomerang **(Power: 9000)**. "And now, I'll attack your Vanguard with Embodiment of Armor, Bahr!"

"But they have the same power! Why would you attack?" Naruto asked, shocked. Rei smirked.

"Because when they have the same power, the attack goes through," He elaborated. Naruto gasped.

"I guard with Precipice Whirlwind, Sagramore!" A young boy holding a bow appeared, taking the blow meant for the knight **(Shield: 5000)**.

"I attack with Chain-attack Sutherland, supported by Follower, Reas!" Rei called, resting the mentioned units **(Power: 14000)**. "And Reas' skill adds 4000 power, bringing the total to 18000!"

"I don't guard," Naruto clutches his cards tighter in worry as Rei checks his drive trigger, and gets a Draw Trigger as well. Naruto's damage trigger only gets Battlefield Storm, Sagramore, not the trigger he hoped for.

"Finally, Flame Edge Dragon attacks your vanguard as well!" The black haired teen declares.

"Player of the Holy Axe, Nimue will guard!" Naruto returns, laying the card in the guardian circle **(Shield: 5000)**.

"I end my turn. Now, before you draw, you get your Stand Phase. Now you get to stand all your resting units," Rei informs the blond.

"Okay. Stand, and draw," Naruto adds a card to his hand. "I ride Player of the Holy Bow, Viviane!" A blue haired woman holding a bow as though it were a violin replaces the golden knight **(Power: 9000)**.

Yosuke was grinning. "If they keep trading damage like this, Rei will lose!" The blue haired boy wasn't so confident.

"Rei isn't likely to let that happen. He'll take the lead," He spoke confidently.

Naruto moved Charjgal to the back row. "I move Charjgal, and then call Knight of Superior Skills, Beaumains!" A red and gold knight emerged to join his comrades **(Power: 10000)**. "Now, Beaumains attacks, supported by Charjgal!" **(Power: 16000)**

"No guard," Rei stated calmly.

"Next, Viviane attacks, with a boost from Sagramore!" Naruto declared as he rested the units **(Power: 15000)**.

"No guard," Rei again announced.

"I activate Viviane's Counter Blast!" Naruto flipped over the card in his damage zone, then checked the top card of his deck. "I superior call Sleygal Sword!" The large dog held a sword in its mouth as it entered the battlefield **(Power: 9000)**. "And he attacks as well!"

"Guard with Dragon Knight Aleph!" Rei declared at last **(Shield: 5000)**.

"I end my turn," Naruto decided and Rei started.

"I stand and draw! Now, ride, Blazing Core Dragon!" A red dragon with flaming claws appeared in place of the green haired man.

"Wait a second..." Yoshiharu blinked. "Why didn't he ride a Grade 3?"

"Maybe he doesn't have one?" Yosuke suggested.

"Now I call Iron Tail Dragon and Gattling Claw Dragon! And next, I use Blazing Core's Counter Blast. I flip one damage, and get to search out a certain card from my deck, and ride it," He took the card out, and placed it on the vanguard circle. "Superior Ride! Incinerate all that stands before you, Blazing Flare Dragon!" A heavily armed dragon, holding both sword and cannon, was detailed on the card **(Power: 10000)**.

Naruto looked over the cards in his hand. _'I need to stop that Vanguard. The other attacks will have to go through.'_

"I attack with Flame Edge Dragon!" The gold eyed teen declared.

"I don't guard," Naruto replied.

"His skill activates. I soulcharge," Rei explained, moving a card from the top of his deck to the pile of cards underneath his Vanguard. "Next, Blazing Flare Dragon attacks with a boost from Reas!"

"I guard with Weapons Dealer, Gwydion, and intercept with Sleygal Sword. I can do that, right?" Naruto asked worriedly **(Shield: 15000)**. Rei nodded in confirmation, then checked his drive trigger.

"Remember that you can only intercept with Grade 2 units, much like how only Grade 0 and Grade 1 units can boost an attack. Grade 3 units, on the other hand, get the ability Twin Drive. They can check two cards in a drive trigger," The older boy explained, to Naruto's shock. "First check, Stand Trigger. This one is blue. It lets me stand one resting rear-guard, and give a unit 5000 extra power. I stand Flame Edge Dragon, and give him the 5000 power. Second check, Critical Trigger. It's the yellow one. I can give a unit 5000 power and they deal an extra point of damage. I'll give that one to Flame Edge as well. And then Flame Edge Dragon attacks!" **(Power: 19000)**

"I... I don't guard," Naruto announces, getting gasps from the three onlookers.

"Flame Edge's skill means I soulcharge again," Rei says, putting the top card into the pile. "Turn end."

"I stand and draw," Naruto declares. As he draws, a feeling of confidence enters him. He checks his new card, and rides it. "I ride Soul Zeta – Synchro Edge!" As he declares this, the numbers 07 appear inside his left iris, a contrasting red to go against the blue eye **(A visual effect, like the rainbow swirl of PSYqualia or another such thing. Please don't complain that no one there comments on it.)**.

The Vanguard is now a knight covered entirely in white armor. Decorative gold lines glow along it. He holds a large sword that pulses with a blue light, and wears a black cape. On the left side of his chest plate are the numbers 07 in red **(Power: 10000)**.

Naruto continues, selecting another card from his hand. "I call Battlefield Storm, Sagramore to rear-guard!" A young man in silver armor, with a sword in each hand appears. "And now, Counter Blast! Synchro Edge!" He flips over two damage. "With this skill, Synchro Edge gains 2000 power for each Gold Paladin in my rear-guard! Which brings his total up to 18000! Okay, Sagramore attacks, with Counter Blast active! At the cost of one damage, he gets 3000 power!" (**Power: 13000)**

"No guard," Rei takes his fourth damage, and gets a Draw Trigger. "Power to my Vanguard." **(Power: 15000)**

"I attack with Synchro Edge, boosted by Sagramore! And Synchro Edge's effect means that since Blazing Flare Dragon isn't the same race as him, he gets 5000 power and a critical!" Naruto declares **(Power: 29000)**.

"I guard with Flame Seed Salamander and Embodiment of Spear, Tahr!" Rei counters, using up most of his hand **(Shield: 20000)**. Luckily for him, the whisker-marked teen doesn't get any triggers.

"I attack with Beaumains, supported by Charjgal!" The blond calls **(Power: 16000)**.

"No guard," The black haired teen decides.

"Oh, he was so close!" Yosuke complains. "He totally had him. Dammit!"

"I end my turn."

"And I start mine. Stand and draw!" The gold eyed teen smirks. "Bahr moves back. I call Berserk Dragon and I think a second one will work as well." Two identical dragons with multiple heads joined the units Rei had already called. "I use Berserk Dragon's Counter Blast! I flip over two damage for each, and retire your Beaumains and Grassland Breeze!" The knight yelled as he was incinerated. "And next, by sending five cards from my soul to the drop zone, Blazing Flare's Soul Blast!" He moved all the cards under his Vanguard to the rectangle behind his deck. "Battlefield Storm, Sagramore is also retired!"

"No!" The blond gasped.

"Argh! He's doomed!" Yosuke whined.

"There's no way he can recover from that." Yoshiharu spoke sadly. "I really thought he could pull it off too."

"Well, um... You shouldn't count your chickens before they've hatched?" Rei's blue haired friend suggested weakly.

"Now, Berserk Dragon attacks, boosted by Bahr!" The gold eyed male rests the selected units **(Power: 17000)**.

"Sleygal Dagger and Beaumains will guard!" The blue eyed teen responds **(Shield: 10000)**.

"Now Blazing Flare attacks, supported by Reas! And it also gains 3000 power for each of your rear-guards retired this turn!" **(Power: 25000)**

_'I- I can't stop it! I don't have enough shield power!' _Naruto thought in panic.

"Drive trigger, first check," Nothing. "Second check, Critical Trigger!"

"No!" Naruto's eyes widened in shock, as did the others.

"It goes to my Vanguard," Rei announced.

_'Is... Is this it? Is this all I'm capable of?'_ First check, nothing. _'I... I... I don't want it to end here! I want to win! I... I want to open this gate in front of me, and enter this world!'_ Second check... A green light flashed from the card!

"A Heal Trigger!" The blue haired teen exclaimed in surprise. Rei's eyes were wide open, such was his shock. Yosuke and Yoshiharu were cheering and yelling. Seeing Naruto's confused look, the blue haired boy elaborated. "When you get one, you can take one card from your damage zone and put it in the drop zone, but only if your damage before the trigger is equal to or more than your opponent's damage."

The blond selected one of the damages he'd already flipped and put it in his drop zone, then put Elixir Sommelier, the card that saved him in the damage zone.

_'This is it. Here I go!'_ "I stand and draw!" Naruto spoke with confidence. "I call Speeder Hound and Fortune Bell to rear-guard!" **(Power: 5000) (Power: 5000)** He flipped over two damage. "Synchro Edge's skill! Plus 2000 power for each rear-guard!" **(Power: 16000)**

"He might actually do this!" The blue haired teen spoke, shocked.

"Fortune Bell attacks with a boost from Charjgal!" The blond declared **(Power: 11000)**.

"Flame Edge Dragon intercepts!" The gold eyed teen countered.

"Oh! So close!" Yosuke gasped.

"Soul Zeta – Synchro Edge attacks, supported by Speeder Hound! And his ability activates as well!" The blue eyed boy called **(Power: 26000) (Critical: 2)**.

"I guard with Lizard Soldier, Conroe and Dragon Dancer, Lourdes! And Berserk Dragon intercepts as well!" The black haired teen responded **(Shield: 20000)**.

"He needs a trigger! Oh, this is just too tense! I can't watch!" Yoshiharu wailed.

"First check..." Sleygal Double Edge. Not a trigger. "Second check..." Dantegal! "Critical Trigger! All effects to Synchro Edge!"

"I see. Damage check. No trigger." Rei revealed the card. **(Soul Zeta – Synchro Edge's Power: 31000 vs Blazing Flare Dragon's Power: 30000)**

"I... won?" Naruto asked. Rei nodded.

"I took six damage. I have lost," He confirmed. "As I agreed, I'll return the deck," It was placed on the table. Rei turned and walked out. "C'mon Rikuo. Let's go."

Naruto ran out after them. "Rei..." He didn't turn, but that wasn't important to Naruto. "Thank you."

Rei waved, and Naruto felt a smile form on his face. It was a small one, and it made his face feel awkward, but it was something.

"I... I didn't need your help!" Yosuke glared. "Yoshiharu, let's go!" He walked off.

"Hey! Wait up! Yosuke!" Yoshiharu called out, running to catch up to his friend.

"Here," A girl with dark green hair handed him his bag. "I'm guessing you were planning to leave now?"

He nodded. "Thanks."

"Well, come back anytime, you'll be welcome," She told the boy. He smiled. "Oh, and I'm Kokoro, in case you were wondering."

"I'm Naruto. Well, goodbye," She waved as he walked down the street.

Once he was gone, a man with green hair and a black fringe came up to the girl.

"Who was that, Kokoro?" He asked her. She grinned a little.

"Oh, just a customer."

* * *

"Ah!" Kyūbi exclaimed, opening her brother's door. "Onee-chan! Onee-chan!" She called out to her sister, getting no response.

"She went down to the store, Kyū-chan," Naruto told her from the kitchen. "We ran out of milk."

"N- Nii-san!" Kyūbi gasped in shock. "You're up?! It's only 7!"

"Yeah, it is. Can't go needing my little sister to wake me up every day, right?" He replied easily.

_'Nii-san...'_ Hearing that, Kyūbi couldn't do anything but smile brightly.

* * *

"Hey! Hey!" A voice called out from behind Naruto as he left school. He turned, only to meet an unexpected sight. It was the boy who'd accompanied Rei yesterday. "So, you go to this school as well, huh? Well, I'm Nanashi Rikuo. Just call me Rikuo!"

"Um..." Naruto was caught off guard by his friendliness. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto."

Rikuo grinned. "I'll remember that," He suddenly ran off in a different direction. "Nice seeing you!" He called out.

"Uh, yeah," Naruto mumbled. "Nice to see you..." He waved weakly at the spot Rikuo had disappeared around the corner from.

* * *

"Good afternoon," Naruto greeted as he walked into the card shop Plus. It was empty, aside from Kokoro, who smiled at him from the counter, and a black cat, who was lying down on said counter.

"Hey," She returned. With a sigh, Naruto sat down at the same table he'd played Rei on yesterday. He looked down. After a while, Kokoro walked over to him. "Are you waiting for someone?"

He nodded. "Yeah. The guy I played yesterday. But, I'm not sure if he'll be here."

Kokoro gave him a thoughtful look, but didn't say anything. After a few minutes, the black cat looked expectantly at the door, and Kokoro tapped Naruto on the shoulder smiling.

"You know, if I were you, I'd try to have a little more faith," Naruto blinked at her, just before the door slid open, drawing his eyes.

"Yo," Rikuo greeted him from over Rei's shoulder as the two walked into the store. "Hope you didn't miss us too much."

"You... You guys came..." Naruto stared.

"Of course we did. Rei just couldn't wait for another chance to battle you. Isn't that right?" Rikuo prodded Rei, who ignored him and sat at Naruto's table, withdrawing his deck as he did.

"You up for a rematch?" He asked. Naruto smiled.

"You bet!"

_In this world, there are a lot of different things, both good, and bad. I never thought that a card game could alter my life completely, until Vanguard did. Now, I can look forward to each new day, with a smile on my face. So, thank you, Vanguard. But even more importantly, thank you, my friends._

**Ride 1, End**

* * *

Ending Theme: Boku Quest – Golden Bomber (I do not own this either) (Only included for fun)

* * *

Preview Corner!

Naruto: What's this?

Rikuo: It's a preview of chapter 2!

Naruto: Is this a good idea?

Rikuo: Of course it is! I came up with it!

Naruto: _(dubious look)_ So, what is happening next episode?

Rikuo: Haven't you seen the script? Another cardfight, man! Against that loser Kurotsuchi!

Naruto: What? Kurotsuchi? Why am I playing him?

Rikuo: **Next time, Ride 2: Playing for Pride!** Check it out!

Naruto: Rikuo, answer me! C'mon, why are you hiding this from me?

* * *

Cardfighter Corner!

Naruto: Another one? What's this one for?

Kokoro: This corner is about a character, different one each chapter!

Naruto: A character? Who are we doing today, then?

Kokoro: Isn't it obvious? You, of course!

Naruto: M- Me? _(blush)_

Kokoro: Yeah! Fourteen year old Uzumaki Naruto has blond hair, blue eyes, and is a blood type B positive. He has those whisker marks on his cheeks that make him just adorable!

Naruto: _(deeper blush) _Stop, Kokoro...

Kokoro: He was bullied for most of his education by his peers, and apparently hadn't smiled for 7 years before the day he came to card shop Plus! That must have been horrible.

Naruto: Yeah, I'm really glad I ended up going there.

Kokoro: He has two siblings that he lives with, and apparently he once knew someone called Kiryu. I've been meaning to ask, Naruto, where are your parents?

Naruto: I'm not really sure, to be honest with you.

Kokoro: Hmm. Well, when he first came to Plus, a card seems to have mysteriously been added to his deck. That's right, I'm referring to Soul Zeta – Synchro Edge! Not even Naruto had seen it before that day he drew it.

Naruto: Something about that card bothers me, but I can't put my finger on it.

Kokoro: _(confused look) _What do you mean by that?

Naruto: _(thoughtful pose) _I'm not really sure. Just a feeling I get.

Kokoro: Well, that's all for today! See you next time!

* * *

Vanguard Corner!

Rikuo: Oh boy, I get another one? Lucky me!

Rei: What the hell are you talking about?

Rikuo: I get to be in two of these "extra corners"!

Rei: "Extra corners"?

Rikuo: Yeah! This one's for talking about something to do with the game Vanguard! Today, we've got a card to talk about, as well as one of the many clans.

Rei: Fine. Let's just get this over with.

Rikuo: Can do. First, we'll talk about the author's very own original card: Soul Zeta – Synchro Edge!

Rei: It's a card that Naruto used in our match, and it seems rather strange.

Rikuo: I'll agree to that. It's a Grade 3 unit from the Gold Paladin clan, and it has 10000 power.

Rei: However, it seems to be made to be used as a Vanguard, since it suffers multiple penalties from being in rear-guard.

Rikuo: Yeah, it loses 2000 power straight up, just by being in the rear-guard. Not to mention, it can't gain as much power from its Counter Blast.

Rei: Its Counter Blast has a cost of two damage, which can actually be a big spend in late game, and could decide whether you win or lose the match. It gives Synchro Edge 2000 power for each Gold Paladin in your rear-guard.

Rikuo: However, it excludes itself from being counted among that, so it can gain up to 10000 power as Vanguard, but only up to 8000 as rear-guard. That's in addition to the 2000 power loss it gets from just not being Vanguard.

Rei: But, believe it or not, this card gets stranger. When it battles a unit that isn't the same race as it, it gains 5000 power and deals 1 extra damage.

Rikuo: Not to mention, that as far as we know, there aren't yet any other cards that share its' race, "Antimatter Being". It's a conundrum.

Rei: Okay, we're done. Can I go now?

Rikuo: No way! We still have one more thing to do!

Rei: I had hoped you'd forgotten about it.

Rikuo: Bad luck for you! Now we're going to talk about one of the main clans, Kagerō!

Rei: Oh? You didn't mention this.

Rikuo: Kagerō is a clan from the nation of the Dragon Empire, which is symbolized by the color red. Many of their units are dragons, as they are the prime power of Dragon Empire.

Rei: They specialize in retiring their opponent's rear-guards, and benefiting by doing so. They're well feared because they don't just set up their own game like most clans, but interfere with your game as well.

Rikuo: Well, that's all we have time for today. See you next time!

* * *

Writing Corner!

Kokoro: C'mon Neko-sempai! Aren't you excited to be in one of these corners?

Neko: Meow.

Kokoro: Um... Well... Please, if you have any comments, criticisms, compliments, suggestions, anything, just leave a review! It's the only way the author knows you read the story!

Neko: Meow!


	2. Ride 2: Playing for Pride

**Hello internet, Liger One here, with news updates. First, I believe I've mentioned a NarutoxPersona fanfic I began writing a chapter of and haven't finished? It's been suspended, so I can focus on my current stories, and because I can't work out how to put in the shadow dungeon (like the TV world or Tartarus) without it being a ripoff. And second, the 3rd chapter of Shooting Stars? Probably not going to be done until at least after Christmas, mostly due to wanting to write more Cardfight, but also due to my planned DDK Christmas Special. Not sure if I should write it, since it might slightly spoil stuff that won't be appearing for a while, but I wanted to write something festive.**

**Now, I already replied via PM to misteriosayuri's review/question, but in case anyone else wanted to know about pairings, at this point anything is possible. Straight, yaoi, yuri, doesn't matter to me. If you want to see a particular pairing, write a review, or send me a PM, and include why you want to see it/think it would be a good pairing. I'm very indecisive at this point, so a good argument towards a pairing could very easily sway me towards it. And while we're on the subject of reviews, I'd appreciate some feedback on the way I write cardfights. If there's some way I could improve, please don't be afraid to say so. Criticism can only help.**

**So, cue the fic!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Cardfight Vanguard, or most of the things that may or may not be included. I do own certain cards that I created, as well as possibly the characters I created (Seriously, I'd really appreciate it if someone could tell me what the rights of an OC are. Do I own them, or don't I?).**

* * *

**Ride 2, Start: Playing for Pride!**

"Nii-san! Wake up!" Kyūbi shouted to Naruto from the kitchen.

"Hang on, I'm coming! Wah!" Naruto called out before he tumbled down the stairs, suffering no injuries from the fall. It isn't like this is real life, you know. Plus, the floor is carpeted. He's fine.

"Hurry up and eat breakfast, or you'll be late!" Mito commanded, causing both younger Uzumaki's a great deal of fear. They quickly rushed through the rest of morning preparations, and headed off for school.

Mito had just turned around to get ready for her own work when Naruto returned. "By the way, I might be late getting back tonight, okay?" He told her before leaving again, giving her no time to ask questions. He was good at avoiding confrontation like that. He may have found friends at his school, and regained the ability to smile, but he still couldn't call himself brave as he was. Especially when it came to dealing with his sister.

Mito blinked. _'Naruto planning to be back late? That's odd. What's up with you, Naruto?'_

* * *

Opening Theme: Masterpiece – mihimaru GT (I do not own this song) (It is not necessary to listen to this song)

* * *

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief as classes finally finished for the day. He hated going to class still. He was still bullied by other students, belittled so they could feel better about themselves. He may have found some joy in life, but that doesn't mean that the bad things went away. But, now he could face each day and keep moving forwards.

"Hey," The voice of Tanaka Rei snapped Naruto out of his thoughts. The blond turned to find the older teen standing behind him. "You ready to go? Rikuo's waiting at the gate."

Naruto nodded. "Sure, let's go," He fell into step beside the black haired boy. "By the way, you said there was some kind of event at Plus today. What is it?" He asked.

"We'll explain when we get there," Rei deflected the question casually. Naruto wasn't surprised. The older boys were being very tight lipped about this thing. All he knew was that it occurred once a week, and involved a Vanguard match.

Naruto smiled as he saw the waving Rikuo standing just inside school grounds, wincing when the bluenette got a bit too enthusiastic and smashed his hand into the fence surrounding the school. Just another ordinary day, really.

* * *

"Lottery Match?" Naruto repeated, looking at Kokoro. The three Vanguard players had arrived at Plus, their regular Card Shop, and the older teens had gotten Kokoro to explain the special event to him.

"Yeah. Basically, people can get a number, and two random numbers will be selected, and those two people will play a match. Not too hard, right?" The green haired girl smiled at him. "So, how about it? You wanna give it a go?"

"Huh? Me?" He blinked. The thought of entering hadn't even crossed his mind.

Rikuo apparently had, however. "You should do it," He told Naruto. "It might give you a chance to learn new skills, and it doesn't hurt to try."

Naruto was hesitant, but went along. "Alright. I'll enter."

Kokoro squealed. "Great! Just fill out this sheet!" She said, handing him a piece of paper with several personal questions, to confirm his validity. He nodded and set to work.

"Hey, Rei, why don't we start up a game while Naruto does that?" Rikuo suggested, getting a look of interest from the gold eyed teen.

* * *

"Is this thing on?" The store manager, a man with green hair, and a black fringe asked into a microphone. "Okay, well, it's that time you all wait for, Lottery Match!" He announced to a few cheers. "Kokoro, start it up!"

"Right!" She pulled two pieces of paper from the jar on the desk. "Today is... #1 vs #53!" She told the crowd.

"Hey, Naruto, that's your number!" Rikuo reminded him.

"W- What? I- I'm going to be playing?" Naruto stuttered, feeling very nervous all of a sudden.

Rei looked around. "But then, who's the opponent?"

"Alright!" A familiar voice shouted from the other side of the room. "Number 1, that's me!" Kurotsuchi Yosuke crowed, coming up to the selected table for the match.

"I'm going to be fighting him?" Naruto squeaked out in a panic. He really didn't want to do this anymore.

"You're already able to play on level with Rei," The bluenette encouraged him. "This guy won't be much of a problem."

"Can the person with #53 please come up?" The manager requested. Naruto shakily walked up to the front, feeling like he was on death row. "Okay, players, choose your starting Vanguard and prepare to play!"

Yosuke glared when he saw the blond. "What are you doing here?" He asked, annoyed. The players shuffled their decks, and Yosuke won the right to go first.

"Stand up, Vanguard!" Both players called out. Naruto's Vanguard was Grassland Breeze, Sagramore, a young boy in armor that looked like a wolf **(Power: 6000)**. Yosuke's was Anatomy Beast, Gaizon, a purple alien with four arms **(Power: 5000)**.

Many stared in disbelief at Yosuke's choice of Vanguard. Rikuo voiced their thoughts. "That idiot chose a Heal Trigger as his Vanguard? This really will be a quick game."

_'Could he have some kind of plan involving it?'_ Naruto was panicky in his thoughts, and didn't know what to make of this move. Yosuke drew his card and started.

"I ride Wonder Boy! And I call Cheer Girl Tiara, Sonic Breaker, and another Wonder Boy to rear-guard!" Yosuke announced. In his front row were two identical men in rugby uniform, and behind the Vanguard was a red haired cheerleader, while a purple-skinned humanoid covered in spiky red armor was behind the rear-guard Wonder Boy **(Power: 8000) (Power: 8000) (Power: 5000) (Power: 5000)**.

Naruto's eyes widened at all the units, but others were not impressed. "Hey, idiot, you can't attack this turn, remember!" Rikuo insulted the black haired boy.

"I- I knew that!" Yosuke returned, sounding angry. "I'm done!"

"O-Okay," Naruto draws nervously. "I ride Knight of Elegant Skills, Gareth! In addition, I call Player of the Holy Axe, Nimue, and Sleygal Dagger behind her!" The blond's Vanguard became a knight in red and gold, and was joined by a red haired woman with a strange hybrid of axe and trumpet, and a large dog with a knife **(Power: 8000) (Power: 7000) (Power: 7000)**.

"Ha, like your weak units will win against me!" Yosuke boasted.

"I attack with Nimue, boosted by Sleygal!" Naruto announced **(Power: 14000)**.

"I guard with... uh..." _'I can't guard!'_ Yosuke had used all his low level cards on the field already. He had no choice but to take a damage check. Juggernaut Maximum, not a trigger.

"Next, Gareth attacks! And I check for a drive trigger!" He flipped over the card, which was Fortune Bell. "Stand Trigger! I stand Nimue, and give her 5000 power! She attacks next!" Yosuke flipped over the cards, still no triggers.

"Whoa, Naruto's really on fire today! Three damage on his first turn?" Rikuo exclaimed. Rei snorted, getting a confused look from the bluenette.

Kokoro explained for him. "This one is because his opponent played down all his defensive cards instead of holding on to them. It's true that Naruto is playing well, but that other guy's blunders are a large factor in this game."

"I see what you mean," Rikuo set his eyes back on the game.

"I'll end my turn there," Naruto announced.

"Haha! Then prepare to be amazed as the awesome Yosuke unleashes his skillful attack!" The arrogant boy boasted, drawing a card. "I ride Lady Bomb, and use its incredible Counter Blast! Nimue won't stand next turn!" Yosuke flipped over two damage as the humanoid ladybug knocked Nimue over.

Naruto just tensed for what else was to come. Yosuke having only Grade 3 cards in his hand, moved straight to the battle phase. "The awesome Wonder Boy attacks your Vanguard!" The sportsman ran at the knight, followed by his spiked companion **(Power: 13000)**.

Naruto slammed a card on the table. "I guard with Fortune Bell!" A girl holding a large bell blocked the way of Yosuke's units **(Shield: 10000)**.

"Argh! You little..." Yosuke growled. "I attack with Lady Bomb and Cheer Girl, Tiara!" **(Power: 14000)**

"I don't guard," Naruto responded. Yosuke checked his drive trigger, getting the Critical Trigger, Shrapnel Scorpio. Naruto didn't get any triggers in his damage check.

The whisker-marked teen started his turn. "I ride Knight of Superior Skills, Beaumains! And call Sacred Guardian Beast, Nemean Lion and Precipice Whirlwind, Sagramore!" His vanguard became a dark skinned knight in red and gold armor, and an armored lion and young boy in black armor appeared as well **(Power: 10000) (Power: 8000) (Power: 6000)**.

"It's too bad he only gets two attacks since Nimue is at rest," Rikuo sighed.

"I swap Sleygal Dagger with Nimue, then I attack with Nemean Lion, supported by Sagramore!" The blond declared **(Power: 14000)**.

"Shrapnel Scorpio guards!" Yosuke countered, holding up the card **(Shield: 10000)**.

"Beaumains attacks Lady Bomb!" Naruto decides, and checks his drive trigger, smiling as he gets the card he hoped for.

"I stand and draw!" Yosuke cries. "I ride Enigman Cyclone!" A green humanoid appears to replace the ladybug woman **(Power: 10000)**. "I call Electro-star Combination, Cosmogreat!" Also appearing is a giant blue robot** (Power: 10000)**.

Yosuke smirks as he explains his plan. "When Cosmogreat is called, his Counter Blast lets me give one other Dimension Police 4000 power!" He flips over his two unflipped damage. "All of it to my Vanguard! And he'll be attacking with help from Tiara!" **(Power: 19000)**

"Nemean Lion's Special Intercept! When a Gold Paladin is my Vanguard, his shield increases by 5000!" **(Shield: 10000)**

Yosuke glared at the card. _'I just need a trigger...'_ He checked his first, and didn't get one. He checked his second, and exclaimed in joy. "Critical Trigger! Shrapnel Scorpio! Yes!"

"Hold up just a moment," Surprisingly, the manager intervened. "You don't have any Megacolony units on your field. You need a unit of the same clan as your trigger for the effect to activate."

Yosuke gaped. "Y- You mean... You mean it doesn't work?!"

"Yes. So then, I believe your attack fails," The manager confirms.

"Grr! I'll win without triggers then! I attack with Cosmogreat, then with Wonder Boy!" **(Power: 10000) (Power: 13000)**

After Naruto checked for his damage triggers, he started his turn. "Stand and draw! I ride..." Rikuo gasped and looked excited.

"He's going to use it!" He exclaimed.

"The warrior of light that strips away the darkness! Soul Zeta – Synchro Edge!" The blond finished, the number 07 appearing in his eye as the white and gold knight descended **(Power: 10000)**.

"Ah! Not that card!" Yosuke exclaimed in shock.

"Then I call Sleygal Double Edge and Charjgal!" A wolf with a double ended sword in its mouth and one with gold armor appeared **(Power: 10000) (Power: 6000)**. "Then, I activate Synchro Edge's Counter Blast! Plus 2000 power per Gold Paladin rear-guard! A total of 10000 more power! Then I'll activate both Sleygal's Counter Blasts! Plus 2000 power each!" The three began to glow **(Power: 20000) (Power: 12000) (Power: 9000)**. "And they'll be supported by the back row!" Glowing energy from Sagramore, Charjgal and Nimue flowed into the front row **(Power: 26000) (Power: 18000) (Power: 16000)**. "Now Double Edge attacks!"

"I guard with Shrapnel Scorpio!" Yosuke responded **(Shield: 10000)**.

"Next, Dagger!" Naruto announced.

"Karma Queen and Speed Star guard!" The bully counters, using up the rest of his hand **(Shield: 10000)**.

"Go, Synchro Edge! Final attack!" Naruto declares.

"You'll only deal one damage!" Yosuke states.

"Synchro Edge gains 5000 power and 1 critical when attacking a unit of a different race!" Naruto reminds him.

"N- No! But, I just need one Heal Trigger!" Yosuke checks his two cards. Juggernaut Maximum and Hell Spider. Neither were triggers.

"He won!" Rikuo exclaims happily. Rei smirks and makes a comment.

"You act like you thought he wouldn't," Rikuo looked affronted.

"Geez, can't a guy be happy?" He complained dramatically.

"Grr! I'll be back!" Yosuke yells, running from the shop. Naruto just laughs.

"That was a very good game," The manager compliments, and offers his hand. "I'm Shō. It's a pleasure."

Naruto shakes his hand. "I'm Naruto."

"I look forward to seeing you play again," Shō waves as he walks back over to the counter.

"That was a great match, Naruto! Even Neko-sempai thinks so!" Kokoro tells him, holding a black cat in her arms.

"... Neko-sempai?" The blond asks. Kokoro shows him the cat.

"Here he is. Say hi, Neko-sempai!" The cat ignores her and goes to sleep. "Hey, don't be lazy!"

Naruto laughs. He wouldn't trade moments like these, even for the world.

**Ride 2, End**

* * *

Ending Theme: Boku Quest – Golden Bomber (I do not own this either)

* * *

Preview Corner!

Naruto: Again? I thought he'd give up after it got ignored!

Rei: Unfortunately, this author's a bit too stubborn for that.

Naruto: Dammit. Okay, where are my lines? _(Begins searching ground)_

Rei: Next episode, that Shō guy sets up a match between Naruto and Kokoro.

Naruto: Kokoro plays Vanguard too?

Rei: Perhaps this fight is more than Naruto can handle?

Naruto: Find out in the next chapter! **Ride 3: The Neo Nectar!** Check it out!

* * *

Cardfighter Corner!

Rikuo: So, this corner is about a character?

Kokoro: _(nods) _Yep! And this time, the subject is Kurotsuchi Yosuke!

Rikuo: _(breaks down laughing)_ We're doing one on that loser?

Kokoro: _(nods)_ Uh huh! Kurotsuchi Yosuke is 14 years old, and is in the same class as Naruto. He's one of the many people who have bullied Naruto over the years.

Rikuo: _(thumping sounds are heard as he managed to fall down the stairs while rolling around laughing)_

Kokoro: He's fairly frequent at Plus, but has been going less and less recently. Also, he's been getting more edgy and nasty.

Rikuo: _(knocked unconscious)_

Kokoro: He uses a hybrid deck of three clans; Dimension Police, Megacolony and Spike Brothers. And that's really all we have time for today. Bye!

* * *

Vanguard Corner!

Kokoro: This week we'll talk about the cards Enigman Cyclone and Sleygal Dagger, as well as the clans Gold Paladin and Megacolony!

Naruto: Enigman Cyclone is a Grade 3 Dimension Police unit with 10000 power. It's part of the Enigman series of cards. That sure brings back memories.

Kokoro: They remind you of something? Did that Kiryu person use them?

Naruto: Not exactly. Anyway, Enigman Cyclone has an ability that requires it to have 14000 attack before it gets boosted. If it does, when its attack hits, it can retire an opponent's rear-guard.

Kokoro: Next, Sleygal Dagger is a Grade 1 unit from the Gold Paladin clan, and it has 6000 power and 5000 shield.

Naruto: It has a Counter Blast that raises its power by 2000 when you have four or more Gold Paladin rear-guards, but it cannot be included in that. It costs one damage to use, and can be used multiple times in the same turn.

Kokoro: Gold Paladins themselves are an old clan, having gone out of print a while ago. How exactly did you get them, Naruto?

Naruto: I'd rather not talk about it. Gold Paladins have a focus on card advantage, working better when lots of them are on the field. They also have emphasis on making Superior Calls from the deck.

Kokoro: Megacolony is a clan that likes to keep units from standing, and bases effects around that. They also have the unique race Insect, which really creeps me out!

Naruto: Say, Kokoro, what kind of deck do you use?

Kokoro: _(giggles)_ That's a secret. _(winks)_ You'll have to wait until the next chapter!

* * *

Writing Corner!

Rikuo: _(bandaged)_ The author would like to sincerely apologize for the much shorter chapter than last time, but likes to think it's justified by the fact that the other was both the tutorial and the pilot chapter. _(whispers to readers) _It isn't.

Shō: Please leave a review or PM letting the author know what you thought. He can't improve with no feedback, after all.


End file.
